Studio Rent · August 2026

Studio Apartment Rent in Charleston, IL

$640/mo

Median asking rent for a studio apartment in Charleston, Illinois as of August 2026. That's +13% lower than the citywide median of $732 and +50% below the national studio median of $1,290.

Studio median
$640
August 2026
vs city overall
-13%
$732 city median
vs national
-50%
$1,290 US median
Illinois rank
#3
of 140 cities

Income needed for a studio in Charleston

Using the standard 30% rent-to-income guideline (the threshold above which households are considered rent-burdened), here's what you need to earn to comfortably afford a studio at the current median rent.

Annual income
$25,600
Monthly gross
$2,133
Hourly (full-time)
$12.31

Rent by apartment size in Charleston

Compare Charleston's median rent across every apartment size.

Studio (current)
$640
1-Bedroom
$720
2-Bedroom
$930
3-Bedroom
$1,230
4+ Bedroom
$1,320

Cheapest cities for a studio in Illinois

#CityStudio rent
1Carbondale$464
2Dixon$610
3Charleston (this page)$640
4Quincy$650
5Macomb$660
6Pekin$660
7Rock Island$680
8Danville$690
9Moline$700
10Peoria Heights$700
11Normal$720
12Peoria$738
13Springfield$750
14Decatur$760
15Marion$760

Most expensive cities for a studio in Illinois

#CityStudio rent
1Morton Grove$2,190
2Deerfield$2,190
3Barrington$2,190
4Wilmette$2,100
5Buffalo Grove$2,100
6Highland Park$2,060
7Plainfield$2,015
8Naperville$1,978
9Vernon Hills$1,970
10Streamwood$1,970
11Northbrook$1,960
12Bartlett$1,940
13Bolingbrook$1,925
14Romeoville$1,910
15Elmhurst$1,910

Nearby cities — studio rent

Considering nearby alternatives? 1 of these cities have cheaper studio rents than Charleston.

CityDistanceStudio rentvs Charleston
Savoy, IL37.6 mi$850+$210 (+33%)
Urbana, IL42 mi$870+$230 (+36%)
Champaign, IL42.6 mi$1,033+$393 (+61%)
Mahomet, IL51.9 mi$1,080+$440 (+69%)
Terre Haute, IN54.1 mi$803+$163 (+25%)
Rantoul, IL55.2 mi$820+$180 (+28%)
Danville, IL56 mi$690+$50 (+8%)
Decatur, IL64.4 mi$760+$120 (+19%)
Bloomington, IL87 mi$770+$130 (+20%)
Normal, IL89.5 mi$720+$80 (+13%)
Crawfordsville, IN94.1 mi$598$-42 (-7%)
Montgomery, IL95.6 mi$1,605+$965 (+151%)

Studio rent in Charleston — common questions

How much is a studio apartment in Charleston?

As of August 2026, the median studio apartment rent in Charleston, Illinois is $640 per month. This is +13% below the citywide median of $732.

What income do you need to afford a studio in Charleston?

Using the standard 30% rent-to-income rule, you would need an annual income of about $25,600 ($2,133/month gross), which works out to roughly $12.31/hour at a full-time job.

Is Charleston expensive for a studio compared to the rest of the US?

Charleston's studio median of $640 is +50% below the national studio median of $1,290. It ranks in the 1th percentile of US cities tracked.

How does Charleston rank for studio rent in Illinois?

Among the 140 cities in Illinois with studio data, Charleston ranks #3 from cheapest to most expensive.

Are there cheaper studio options near Charleston?

Yes — nearby cities with cheaper studio rents include Crawfordsville ($598).

All rent data
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Methodology: Bedroom-level rent medians come from HUD Fair Market Rent data calibrated to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for Charleston, which serves as the citywide anchor. When the HUD bedroom values exceed the ZORI city median (a common quirk in luxury markets and small samples), bedroom values are proportionally scaled down to align. Income required uses the standard 30% rent-to-income guideline. Comparison rankings use the same data month across all cities (August 2026) and exclude cities with median rent below $400 or above $20,000.